Watanabe, Yasuyoshi, Kuratsune, Hirohiko · Brain and nerve = Shinkei kenkyu no shinpo · 2018 · DOI
This review summarizes research on ME/CFS conducted in Japan since the disease was first identified there in 1990. Scientists have been searching for objective biological markers to help diagnose ME/CFS and understand what causes it. Recent brain imaging studies found evidence of immune cell activation in the brains of ME/CFS patients, which may be linked to the severity of their symptoms.
This work provides important historical context and consolidates evidence suggesting brain inflammation plays a role in ME/CFS pathophysiology. The demonstration of microglial activation via PET imaging offers a potential objective biomarker that could eventually improve diagnosis and guide treatment development for this severely disabling illness.
This review does not establish causation—microglial activation may be a consequence of ME/CFS rather than a primary cause. The study does not prove that neuroinflammation is the sole mechanism underlying ME/CFS, nor does it demonstrate that targeting neuroinflammation will produce effective treatments. As a narrative review synthesizing prior work, it does not present primary experimental evidence.
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